High side switch protection for power over coaxial cable systems

ABSTRACT

A system having a load device coupled to an output of an electronic control unit (ECU) via a coaxial cable, and the ECU is disclosed. The ECU has a power supply configured to provide power for the load device, a power over coaxial cable (PoC) filter coupled to the output, a high side switch (HSS) coupled to the power supply and to the PoC filter via an HSS output line, and a diode disposed in the HSS output line and configured to substantially eliminate current flow from the output towards the HSS, while allowing current to flow from the HSS towards the load device from the HSS.

BACKGROUND

Power-over-Coaxial cable (PoC) systems often provide power, at least in part, to load devices through coaxial cables using a power supply. Between the coaxial cable and the power source often exists a high side switch (HSS) that connects or disconnects the power source from the load device. Sometimes, however, the output to the load device or attached cabling may experience a short condition (e.g., a short to some unintended power source such as a battery).

SUMMARY

In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system having a load device coupled to an output of an electronic control unit (ECU) via a coaxial cable, and the ECU is disclosed. The ECU has a power supply configured to provide power for the load device, a power over coaxial cable (PoC) filter coupled to the output, a high side switch (HSS) coupled to the power supply and to the PoC filter via an HSS output line, and a diode disposed in the HSS output line and configured to substantially eliminate current flow from the output towards the HSS, while allowing current to flow from the HSS towards the load device from the HSS.

In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a method, comprising configuring an electrical control unit (ECU) to include a diode positioned between a high side switch (HSS) and a load device, providing power to the load device from the ECU, detecting a short-to-battery event, and using the diode to prevent current flow to the HSS from a position of the short-to-battery event.

Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows an example in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency.

In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

Throughout the application, ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third, etc.) may be used as an adjective for an element (i.e., any noun in the application). The use of ordinal numbers is not to imply or create any particular ordering of the elements nor to limit any element to being only a single element unless expressly disclosed, such as by the use of the terms “before”, “after”, “single”, and other such terminology. Rather, the use of ordinal numbers is to distinguish between the elements. By way of an example, a first element is distinct from a second element, and the first element may encompass more than one element and succeed (or precede) the second element in an ordering of elements.

Further, although the description includes a discussion of various embodiments of the invention, the various disclosed embodiments may be combined in virtually any manner. All combinations are contemplated herein.

In general, embodiments of the invention relate to a system and method for protecting a high side switch (HSS) and/or other system components from reverse current flow by inserting a diode between the HSS and a load device. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the diode is inserted with a polarity that allows for current to flow from the HSS towards the load device, but substantially eliminates current flow from the load device, or any other post HSS component (e.g., a shorted coaxial cable) back towards the HSS.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) (100) coupled to a load device (102) via a coaxial cable (114). The ECU (100) may include a power supply (104), a high side switch (HSS) (108), a diode (120), and a power over coaxial (PoC) filter (112). Each of these components is described below.

In one or more embodiments of the invention, a load device (102) is a device or set of devices that act as a load in an electrical system. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the load device (102) is an electrical component, circuitry, or a portion of a device or circuitry that consumes electricity. Examples of load devices include, but are not limited to, appliances, lights, cameras, circuits requiring external power, etc. Although FIG. 1 shows a single load device (102), embodiments of the invention may include any number of load devices coupled to an ECU (100) without departing from the scope of the invention.

In one or more embodiments of the invention, as mentioned above, the load device (102) is connected to an ECU (100) via a coaxial cable (114). In one or more embodiments of the invention, a coaxial cable (114) is any cable that includes more than one layer, with multiple layers substantially sharing a central axis. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the coaxial cable (114) includes, at least, an inner conducting layer and an outer conducting layer (sometimes referred to as a shield) separated by an insulating layer. The coaxial cable (114) may have any number of layers. For example, in addition to the aforementioned three layers, the coaxial cable (114) may include an outer sheathing layer designed to protect the cable. In normal operation, the coaxial cable (114) should provide electrical connections between a load device and the ECU (100). However, in some situations, the coaxial cable (114) may be compromised or damaged in some way. For example, in an automotive scenario, the coaxial cable (114) may become electrically connected to a battery of an automobile. Such a situation may create a short between the load device/ECU and the battery, which may be referred to as a short-to-battery scenario. In one or more embodiments of the invention, there exists a coaxial cable for each load device coupled to an ECU (100).

In one or more embodiments of the invention, the ECU (100) is any device or set of devices for providing electrical control of a load device (102). Such control may include, but is not limited to, providing power to the load device (102), as well as receiving data from the load device (102). For example, in scenarios where the load device (102) is a camera, the ECU (100) may provide power to the camera, while receiving video data from the camera. In such an example, the power provided to the load device (102) may be transmitted using one conducting layer of a coaxial cable (114), while the data from the load device (102) is transported to the ECU (100) using the same conducting layer (the inner layer) of the coaxial cable (114).

In one or more embodiments of the invention, the ECU (100) includes, is, or is a portion of a computing device. In one or more embodiments of the invention, a computing device is any device or any set of devices capable of electronically processing instructions and that includes at least the minimum processing power, memory, input and output device(s), and/or network connectivity in order to contribute to the performance of at least some portion of the functions described herein in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. Examples of computing devices include, but are not limited to, devices that include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more microcontrollers, one or more processors (e.g., central processing units), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), a server (e.g., a blade-server in a blade-server chassis), a virtual machine (VM), a desktop computer, a mobile device (e.g., laptop computer, smart phone, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, and/or any other mobile computing device), and/or any other type of computing device with the aforementioned minimum requirements. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the ECU (100) includes or is operatively connected to one or more other computing devices, with which it may exchange information. For example, the ECU (100) may receive video data from a camera attached via the coaxial cable (114), and include functionality to process the data and/or to send the data to another computing device for processing (or further processing).

In one or more embodiments of the invention, the ECU (100) includes a power supply (104). In one or more embodiments of the invention, a power supply (104) is any device capable of supplying electrical power to any other device. A power supply (104) may be a device that internally generates electricity and/or that receives electricity from any outside source for further propagation. In one or more embodiments of the invention, a power supply (104) is capable of transforming electrical energy into a form consumable by attached load devices (e.g., load device (102)).

In one or more embodiments of the invention, the power supply (104) is a switched mode power supply (SMPS). A SMPS may have two or more modes or states that the power supply (104) is capable of switching between during operation to achieve various goals such as, for example, lower energy dissipation. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the power supply (104) includes functionality to regulate voltage output from the power supply (104). Other examples of power supplies include, but are not limited to, direct current power supplies, alternating current power supplies, linear power supplies, programmable power supplies, uninterrupted power supplies, etc. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the power supply (104) includes functionality to provide power for a load device (102) that may be referred to as the load voltage (V_(load)) (106), which serves as the input voltage to the HSS (106).

In one or more embodiments of the invention, the ECU (100) includes an HSS (106) coupled to the power supply (104). In one or more embodiments of the invention, a HSS (106) is a switching element capable of connecting and disconnecting a power supply (104) from a load device (102), or other elements leading to a load device. In one or more embodiments of the invention, a HSS (106) includes one or more transistors, such as a field effect transistor (FET) (not shown). Each transistor may serve to allow current to pass and thus provide power to any number of load devices (e.g., there may exist a FET for each coupled load device).

In embodiments of the invention where the HSS (106) includes one or more FETs such as a metal oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET), the FET may be configured in such a way as to allow for the application of certain levels of voltage to the gate terminal to control whether current passes between the drain and source terminals, and thus between the power supply (104) and a load device (102). In one or more embodiments of the invention, a FET may include an intrinsic body diode (not shown) between the body of the transistor and the source and/or drain terminals. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the body diode may allow for current to flow between the drain and source terminals of the transistor. For example, in a circuit in which a path exists between a gate and a source terminal, the body diode may allow current to flow from the drain terminal to the body of the transistor, and from there to the source terminal. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the HSS (106) includes any amount of additional circuitry for performing various functions. For example, the HSS (106) may include additional circuitry for making various measurements used to perform diagnostics related to the ECU (100), the HSS (106), and/or the load device (102).

In one or more embodiments of the invention, the ECU (100) includes a PoC filter (112). In one or more embodiments of the invention, the PoC filter (112) is coupled between the HSS (106) and the coaxial cable (114) leading to the load device (102). In one or more embodiments of the invention, the PoC filter (112) is a collection of circuitry for performing one or more functions before power reaches a load device (102). For example, a PoC filter (112) may perform impedance matching before power from the power supply (104) via the HSS (106) is provided to the load device (102). Additionally, the PoC filter (112) may perform the discrimination of power (DC signal) from data (AC signal).

In one or more embodiments of the invention, the coupling between the PoC filter (112) and the HSS (108) includes a diode (120). In one or more embodiments of the invention, a diode (120) is a circuit element that allows current to flow with little or no impedance in one direction, but prevents or substantially prevents current flow in the opposite direction. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the diode (120) includes a polarity that dictates which direction the diode allows current to flow. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the diode (120) is inserted between the HSS (108) and the PoC filter (112) with a polarity that allows for current to flow from the HSS (108) towards the PoC filter (112), but prevents or substantially prevents current from flowing from the load device (102) or PoC filter (112) towards the HSS (108). In one or more embodiments of the invention, the diode (120) passes current from the HSS (108) towards the load device (102) due to a voltage V_(out) (110) provided from the HSS (108) while the HSS is biased to allow one or more current flows from the power supply (104).

While FIG. 1 shows a configuration of components, other configurations may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, various components may be combined to create a single component. As another example, the functionality performed by a single component may be performed by two or more components. As another example, there may be any number of load devices attached to the ECU, an HSS may include any number of individual switching elements, there may be any number of PoC filters, etc. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention should not be considered limited to the specific arrangements of components and elements shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. While the various steps in this flowchart are presented and described sequentially, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that some or all of the steps may be executed in different orders, may be combined or omitted, and some or all of the steps may be executed in parallel. Furthermore, the steps may be performed actively or passively. As another example, determination steps may be performed by performing a test, such as checking a data value to test whether the value is consistent with the tested condition in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. As yet another example, determination steps may be performed via the configuration of system elements, such as an element configured to allow current flow in some situations, but prevent current flow in other situations.

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart describing an exemplary method for preventing or substantially preventing current flow back to an HSS from any post HSS portion of a system, such as a shorted cable or a load device.

In Step 200, an ECU is configured to provide power for a load device via a coaxial cable. In one or more embodiments of the invention, whether or not power is provided to the load device is controlled, at least in part, via a HSS located between and coupled to the HSS and the load device (or any other system component leading to the load device, such as a PoC Filter).

In Step 202, power is supplied to the load device as needed. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the load device needs power when it is required to operate to perform any intended functionality. When power is not supplied to the load device, the HSS may cease the propagation of power to the load device. For example, the HSS may include a transistor that may be biased by application of voltage to a terminal that prevents the passage of current between the other two terminals, one coupled to the power supply and the other leading to the load device. When the load device is required to operate or otherwise needs power, the voltage to the relevant terminal may be adjusted such that said current is able to flow between the other two terminals.

In Step 204, a determination is made as to whether a short exists between any post diode component of the system (e.g., load device, coaxial cable, etc.) and any other power source, such as a battery. If such a short exists, the process proceeds to Step 206. Otherwise, the process returns to Step 202.

In Step 206, after current begins to flow to the HSS, the diode inserted between the load device and the HSS stops or substantially stops the flow of the current towards the HSS. For example, in an automotive scenario, a coaxial cable (or any other cable) coupling an ECU and a load device (e.g., a camera) may become inadvertently coupled to the battery of the automobile, causing a short-to-battery scenario. In such a scenario, the voltage difference between the relatively high voltage of the battery and the relatively low voltage being provided to the camera may cause current to flow in the direction of the HSS. If such a scenario exists, the diode inserted between the HSS and the load device may serve to prevent current flow towards the HSS, while allowing for current to flow towards the load device during typical operating conditions. Such action by the diode may serve to protect the HSS and/or other attached load devices from a short-to-battery scenario.

FIG. 3 shows an example in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. The following example is for explanatory purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, consider a scenario in which an ECU (300) includes a switched mode power supply (SMPS) (302) coupled to a dual HSS (306). The dual HSS includes, among other circuitry not shown, two FETs (310, 312), each configured to allow the passage of current from the SMPS (302) to a respective camera (camera A (332), camera B (334)) of an automotive camera system. In such a scenario, the cameras (332, 334) are coupled to respective PoC filters (324, 326) via respective coaxial cables (328, 330). In turn, the PoC filters (324, 326) are coupled to terminals of respective FETs (310, 312). Between the PoC filters (324, 326) and the FETs (310, 312) are inserted diodes (320, 322) configured to allow current flow towards the PoC filter (due to the output voltages of the FETs (316, 318)), and to prevent current flow in the reverse direction. The SMPS (302) is configured to provide power to the cameras (332, 334) by way of a common voltage, shown as V_(cam) (304). The FETs (310, 312) of the dual HSS (306) are configured to provide power to the cameras (332, 334) by way of an output voltage, shown as V_(out) A (316) and V_(out) B (318). The dual HSS (306) includes gate logic (314) configured to apply a voltage to the gates of the FETs (310, 312) in such a way as to allow the flow of current when the cameras (332, 334) require power via the coaxial cables (328, 330).

In such a scenario, coaxial cable A (328) is inadvertently subjected to an unwanted path (not shown) to the battery of the automobile. However, the cameras (332, 334) are configured to receive a certain amount of power, and more or less power than expected may result in negative consequences for the camera system. In this scenario, the short results in the voltage supplied by the battery being higher than the voltage provided for camera A (332), whether such voltage is currently being provided to camera A (332) or not, as both situations have a high battery voltage versus a non-existent V_(out) A (316) or a V_(out) A (316) that is lower than the battery voltage. In either situation, a body diode (not shown) intrinsic to FET A (310), if subjected to the power from the battery, would allow for the passage of current to the input of FET A (310), and thereby to the input of FET B (312) and on towards camera B (334). However, as shown in FIG. 3, diode A (320) prevents such a situation by preventing the flow of current towards the output of FET A (310), and thus prevents the possible negative consequences of such power transmission. Additionally, diode A (320) prevents the transmission of energy back from the short-to-battery towards the SMPS (302).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there may be any number of HSS channel FETs (e.g., a quad HSS with 4 FETs), each of which may be paired with a diode in order to block a reverse current and protect the SMPS against short to external V_(bat).

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a load device coupled to an output of an electronic control unit (ECU) via a coaxial cable; and the ECU, comprising: a power supply configured to provide power for the load device; a power over coaxial cable (PoC) filter coupled to the output; a high side switch (HSS) coupled to the power supply and to the PoC filter via an HSS output line; and a diode disposed in the HSS output line and configured to substantially eliminate current flow from the output towards the HSS, while allowing current to flow from the HSS towards the load device from the HSS.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the load device is a camera.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ECU is a portion of an automobile system.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power supply is a switched mode power supply.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the HSS comprises a plurality of field effect transistors.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of field effect transistors is configured to connect and disconnect power from the power supply to a separate load device of a plurality of load devices.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the coaxial cable provides power to the load device while also providing load device data to the ECU.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the ECU is configured to process, at least in part, the load device data received from the load device.
 9. A method, comprising: configuring an electrical control unit (ECU) to include a diode positioned between a high side switch (HSS) and a load device; providing power to the load device from the ECU; detecting a short-to-battery event; and using the diode to prevent current flow to the HSS from a position of the short-to-battery event.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the load device is a camera.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the ECU is a portion of an automobile system.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the power supply is a switched mode power supply.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the HSS comprises a plurality of field effect transistors.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of field effect transistors is configured to connect and disconnect power from the power supply to a separate load device of a plurality of load devices.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the coaxial cable provides power to the load device while also providing load device data to the ECU.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the ECU is configured to process, at least in part, the load device data received from the load device. 